God of Warreleases on Friday, April 20, andwe were pretty big fansof Sony Santa Monica’s massively retooled sequel. In addition to the fantastic visuals, compelling story, and engaging combat, the game’s soundtrack is absolutely killer — and you don’t have to own the game to hear it. TheGod of Warsoundtrack isnow available on Spotify.
The soundtrack was composed by Bear McCreary, whosework can be foundin the films10 Cloverfield LaneandHappy Death Day, as well as Ubisoft’sAssassin’s Creed Syndicate—now free for Xbox Live Gold members.
TheGod of Warsoundtrack feels appropriately Scandinavian, with emotional chants, supported by horns and strings in a title track so powerful, you can’tnotmurder some monsters after hearing it.
Soaring vocals are a theme throughout the soundtrack, with the songAshes, featuring a female vocalist, sounding slightly similar toSins of the FatherinMetal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
With the integration of Spotify and PlayStation Music on the PlayStation 4, you can essentially make theGod of Warsoundtrack the soundtrack to any game you want. Why not try it out withGod of War III: Remastered, just to see the contrast in tone between Kratos’ vengeful past self and his more reserved and introspective side showcased in the new game.
Kratos’ relationship with his son is also explored through McCreary’s work. In a developer video, McCreary said the three-note melody looped through much of Kratos’ theme is meant to be “stern,” conveying the mentoring relationship between the two characters and the lessening of Kratos’ unbridled rage.
“The fact that I could distill [that feeling] down to those three notes — it meant that if he walks into a scene or if he takes the upper hand … if he doesanything, Kratos ishere,” McCreary added. “He’s taking command, you know?”
It’s unclear if McCreary has inserted any subliminal messages into theGod of Warsoundtrack, but it wouldn’t be out of the question for the series. We just aren’t surewhich beveragehe’ll choose to reference this time.
